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Chakravartin wrote:
[quote=Gutenberg]
I am afraid the woman thinks she was being witty.
I'm afraid that saying things in bad taste is a criminal act.
That doesn't negate the idea that the woman thinks bad taste and death theats are witty. She's obviously not a Rhodes Scholar.
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$tevie wrote:
[quote=Chakravartin]
[quote=Gutenberg]
I am afraid the woman thinks she was being witty.
I'm afraid that saying things in bad taste is a criminal act.
That doesn't negate the idea that the woman thinks bad taste and death theats are witty. She's obviously not a Rhodes Scholar.
Santorum isn't going after the Rhodes Scholar vote.
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Q. Senator Santorum, are you going after the Rhodes Scholar vote?
A. No, Rhode Island's education is much too progressive.
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Chakravartin wrote:
[quote=Gutenberg]
I am afraid the woman thinks she was being witty.
I'm afraid that saying things in bad taste is a criminal act.
I'm afraid that there seems to be growing acceptance for criminalization of saying things in bad taste.
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threatening the President's life, even in jest, even in effigy, isn't a good idea.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/871
http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa040398.htm
A Threat From the Pulpit
(From the Washington Times, 12/27/96, page A5.)
"God will hold you to account, Mr. President."
"--Rev. Rob Shenck, to President Clinton during a Christmas Eve church service at the Washington National Cathedral, referring to the president's veto of a ban on partial-birth abortion. After the service, Rev. Shenck was detained by Secret Service agents who accused him of threatening the President's life. No charges were filed."
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decay wrote:
threatening the President's life, even in jest, even in effigy, isn't a good idea.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble...
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Chakravartin wrote:
[quote=decay]
threatening the President's life, even in jest, even in effigy, isn't a good idea.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble...
Those are just words. What do they matter?
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decay wrote:
(From the Washington Times, 12/27/96, page A5.)
"God will hold you to account, Mr. President."
"--Rev. Rob Shenck, to President Clinton during a Christmas Eve church service at the Washington National Cathedral, referring to the president's veto of a ban on partial-birth abortion. After the service, Rev. Shenck was detained by Secret Service agents who accused him of threatening the President's life. No charges were filed."
There's a little more to that story. The Shenck twins (appropriately rhymes with wank) have been involved in militant anti-choice activities and this was not their first law enforcment run in involving Pres. Clinton. If a person of that persuasion and history said to me or anyone "God will hold you to account" I would definitely treat it as a death threat.
I didn't think this was said "from the pulpit" because I can't imagine that anyone would let Shenck officiate at the National Cathedral. I thought he just walked up to the President and said that.
Not taking those people seriously has left a trail of dead and injured people.
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